


do not go gentle into that good night

by haroldslouis



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bottom Louis, Developing Relationship, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Louis Gets Fucked On A Bed Full Of Money, M/M, problematic characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-21
Updated: 2015-02-21
Packaged: 2018-03-14 11:38:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3409193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haroldslouis/pseuds/haroldslouis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“If we leave right now they’ll never find us Lou, then it’ll be just you and me and the road.”</p><p>Louis turned and slammed his fist in the wall. “I fucking hate you!” he suddenly exclaimed, resting his head in his elbow. “Why here and why me? You couldn’t just fucking settle your ass in a different town and make someone over there fall in love with you?!”</p><p>  <em>or the one 1997 AU where Harry is a bank robber and Louis falls in love with him</em></p>
            </blockquote>





	do not go gentle into that good night

**Author's Note:**

> \- This happened. I apologise. I want to thank my lovely beta [smittenwithlouis](http://www.smittenwithlouis.tumblr.com) for helping me finishing this.  
> \- The title is from the poem by Dylan Thomas.  
> \- You can find the fic rec post and the pictures/gifs [here](http://hazza-andtommo.tumblr.com/post/111701004986/do-not-go-gentle-into-that-good-night-writer).  
> \- This fic is very, very loosely based on the first arc of the movie "The Place Beyond The Pines".  
> Enjoy!

The sun was painting the sky vermillion, specks of blue fading away to the edges. There was no sound in the tall pine trees along the sides of the roads; the birds had sung their last song of the night. The temperature was still warm and crickets were chirping loudly in the high grass which had needed to be mowed ever since summer began a month ago. The hinges creaked when the last customer left the road-side diner, the neon sign above the door flickering when the door closed.

Louis wiped down the counter with a cloth, breadcrumbs falling to the linoleum floor. It had been a long and tiring day and he felt his shirt sticking to his back. There was soft music coming from the jukebox in the corner, his boss had a thing for ‘80ies break up songs. A rerun of the news was playing on the TV in the corner, a blonde woman was reporting on an armed robbery upstate. He folded the cloth and walked towards the kitchen, rinsing it underneath the sink. He heard the loud ringing of the bell above the door and looked around the corner. The cloth made a wet sound as he dropped it in the sink and he wiped his hands on his apron.

“I’m sorry, but we are about to close,” he said, walking back into the restaurant.

A curly haired man with tattoos splattered all over his arms came walking up to the counter. He was carrying a helmet in his left hand and pushed his green sunglasses up in his hair with the other.

“I won’t be long,” the man said, dropping down in one of the plastic stools at the counter. He set his helmet on the stool next to him. “Just a coffee, please.”

Louis considered refusing but then shrugged. He hadn’t turned off the coffee machines yet anyway. He pushed a few buttons and placed a cup underneath it.

“One dollar fifty, please,” he said, trying not to stare at the man in front of him. He didn’t know him and wondered what he was doing here. No one new ever came to this town, and the only people who stopped at the diner were the locals and the occasional trucker travelling through.

The man dropped two rumpled bills on the counter while Louis placed down the cup in front of him.

“Keep the change,” the man said, taking a sip from his coffee.

Louis put the money in the cash register and then went back into the kitchen to pick up the wet cloth. His boss was cleaning the stoves with a strong smelling detergent and Louis made his way back into the diner.

The man had lit a cigarette, holding it between his fingers while he also drank from the cup. There were black oil stains on his long fingers and one of his rings was smudged.

Louis cleared his throat and started wiping another part of the counter. “I’m sorry, but you’re not allowed to smoke in here.” He pointed at one of the many neon signs on the wall. “There is a picnic bench with an ashtray outside.”

The man looked around him at the empty diner and shrugged. “It’s not like I am bothering anyone. There is no one here except me.”

“That doesn’t matter,” Louis said, putting the cloth down. He knew he was being far too irritated but it had been a really long day and he wanted to go home. “Those are the rules, I didn’t make them up. If you want to smoke I suggest you take it outside.”

“No,” the man said matter-of-factly, downing the last of his coffee.

“ _Sir_ —” Louis started, jaw clenching, but he was interrupted by his boss walking up behind him.

“Is everything alright in here?” he asked.

“Everything is fine, Paul,” Louis said, picking up his cloth again, wiping away some spilled jam.

“Louis, why don’t you take out the bags of trash in the kitchen? I’ll finish up in here.”

Louis gave the man one last glance, and the smirk on the man’s face made his cheeks heat up. He made his way towards the kitchen and grabbed the trash bags.

The door banged against the wall when Louis pushed it open too harshly. A soft breeze ruffled his hair and Louis brought up his wrist, wiping away some sweat from his brow. He threw the trash bags in the large container and rested his back against the brick wall of the diner. The bricks were warm from soaking up sunlight all day but Louis didn’t mind. He’d grown up with this kind of heat and even though it bothered his body sometimes, he gave up on being annoyed with it.

There was a loud grumble of an engine coming to life. Louis lifted his head from the wall and looked up. The man from the diner was putting on his helmet, his jeans stretched tightly over his long legs. Louis kept staring while the man put on his red leather jacket and adjusted his grip on the handles.

The motorcycle made a horrible loud sound as the man took off, and Louis removed his hands from his ears. He kicked against the rotten wood at the bottom of the door and went back inside.

-

It was a Friday night and Louis leaned back in the broken leather cushions of the booth. Niall was sitting in front of him, his fingers curled around a glass of beer. The bubbles in his drink were ever so slowly drifting to the surface before disappearing. In the corner of the café his neighbour James had grabbed a guitar, softly singing a song Louis recognised from somewhere. There were a handful of people in the café tonight, most of them talking at the bar. Two elder men were playing a game of darts, the soft _twoomphs_ of the darts hitting the board serving as a makeshift beat to the guitar’s music. The wall around the dartboard was marked with hundreds of small holes and it looked the same way when termites eat their way through wood. It was an old café and it has seen multiple tornados throughout the many years. Louis wondered how it still existed.

“I just don’t know what I am going to do, Louis,” Niall said, taking a big gulp of his beer. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “The drive from Uni back to this hellhole every weekend is fucking shit, but when I am here again I don’t want to leave. My dad keeps telling me he could use my hands at the farm but I don’t know man. I love this place and I love the farm but I don’t know if I’m willing to give up Uni for it.”

“I think you shouldn’t,” Louis shrugged, taking a sip from his own drink. He cleared his throat when Niall sent him a questioning look. “When we were kids, all we ever talked about was getting out of here. You have your chance now and you better not fucking waste it.”

“But what about you?”

“What about me?” Louis shrugged.

“You can’t keep working at the diner for the rest of your life and you know that. If I can get into Uni, so can you. Or just take some classes at the community college upstate, you’re still young after all,” Niall suggested.

“School is not my thing, Ni, you know that. I have a job and you know I can’t leave my father here. He’s getting older and without me around everything will turn to shit,” Louis said, downing the last of his drink.

Niall opened his mouth to protest but Louis stood up. “I’ll get the next round. You want another?”

He doesn’t wait for the answer and he climbed out of the booth. There were a few people sitting on the stools by the bar and Louis slotted himself between them, rapping his knuckles on the old wood. His eyes flitted over the bottles lined up on a shelf against the wall.

“I’d like two of—”

“Can I get a—”

Louis looked sideways, meeting the green eyes of the curly haired man.

“I’m sorry,” the man said, his fingers turning the pendant of his necklace around. “You go ahead.”

Louis nodded and then said to Mark, the bartender and one of his father’s friends, “Two beers, please. Niall is in town so make it a big one.”

Mark nodded and turned his head towards the other man. “And you?”

“Scotch.” The man angled his body sideways, facing Louis. “What a coincidence that we meet again,” he said, a playful glint in his eyes. His neon green sunglasses were perched on top of his unruly hair. There were two tattooed birds beneath his collar bones and the largest part of a different tattoo was covered by the few buttons that were actually done up.

“It’s not that big of a coincidence, this town is hardly bigger than a shoebox,” Louis said, his eyes briefly flicking over the partially exposed chest of the man again.

 “You’ve got a point there,” the man nodded. He stuck out his hand. “My name is Harry. I’m sorry for the way I acted at the diner last week, I had a long road behind me.”

“It’s okay,” Louis said, shaking his hand. “I’m Louis.” He leaned his elbows on the bar, his chin balancing on his knuckles. “You’re not from around here, are you?”

Harry grinned. “It’s that easy to tell, hm?”

Louis shrugged. “You’re not driving around in a beat up truck and whistling Johnny Cash so yeah, you’re different.”

“I do like Johnny Cash, though,” Harry said, nodding at Mark when the older man put down his Scotch in front of him.

“Everyone does,” Louis said, taking a sip from his own refilled drink. “Nice meeting you. If you don’t mind, my friend is waiting from me to bring him his beer. I take thirty seconds more and he’ll break something.”

Harry glanced over Louis shoulder, catching sight of Niall. “I’d pay to see that.”

“Only if you’re willing to pay the damage as well,” Louis said, grabbing the drinks. “I’ll see you around, Harry. Or not, since no one really comes here to stick around.”

He felt the eyes of the other man on his back but he didn’t look over his shoulder. He put the glasses on the table and slid into his side of the booth again.

“Saw you talking to that new guy,” Niall said, licking the white foam from his lips after taking a sip.

“Yes, his name’s Harry. He came into the diner a few nights ago when he arrived into town.”

“I’ve heard some shit about him. Better not get in his way, Lou.”

Louis frowned slightly. “What are you going on about? Just because everyone in this town helps the few surviving old ladies across the street, doesn’t mean _literally_ everyone should.”

“I’m not talking about that. You know this place Louis; no one comes here to stay. The only reason Randy’s motel is still open is because he’s damn good at poker and manages to earn some money with it. If he’s already staying for longer than two nights I don’t want to know what he’s up to,” Niall said, his gaze briefly flicking to where Harry was sitting at the bar.

“I think you’re being dramatic and slightly paranoid,” Louis said, pointedly taking a big sip of his beer.

“And I think you’re thinking with your dick. Look at him, Lou. He’s probably a lot but a good guy ain’t one of them.”

“Just drink your beer and tell me more about that chick you’ve been banging and are secretly in love with,” Louis grinned, changing the subject before Niall could talk any louder than he already did.

“What are you talking about, I’m not in love with her,” Niall sputtered, setting his beer firmly down onto the table which creaked like it could collapse any second.

Louis smiled faintly and listened to his friend talk, all the while keeping an eye on Harry who was sitting by the bar and watching the news.

-

“Our Father, Who art in heaven  
Hallowed be Thy Name;  
Thy kingdom come,  
Thy will be done,  
on earth as it is in heaven.  
Give us this day our daily bread,  
and forgive us our trespasses,  
as we forgive those who trespass against us;  
and lead us not into temptation,  
but deliver us from evil. Amen.”

Louis opened his eyes and placed two slices of bread on his plate. He spread some butter on the bread with his knife, rubbing his sleepy eyes with his other hand. It was another Wednesday morning and he was about to leave for work. The birds outside were singing loudly and Louis looked outside through the window, their neighbours cat climbing into one of the trees. A few seconds later three birds burst out of the top of the trees, leaves falling down.

His father came shuffling into the kitchen, the newspaper wedged underneath his arm. He sat down in his chair with a groan and ruffled their dog behind her ears. “Long day ahead, son?”

Louis nodded. “Nine until eleven.” He twisted his knife, wiping the butter off of it with the crust of his bread. “Anything new?”

His father folded the newspaper open and a deep frown creased his brow. “Jesus Christ,” he muttered.

“What?” Louis grinned. “Someone stole Mrs. Landon’s garden set? Really, she is asking for it because she doesn’t shut up about that stupid set.”

“No, nobody stole a garden set,” his father said, eyes stern. “But someone did steal 15,000 dollars from the bank in Ashland City yesterday afternoon.”

“What?” Louis dropped his knife with a loud clang and moved around the table, leaning over his father’s shoulder.

“Apparently one guy came in just before closing, swinging his gun around and demanding the money. Oh God,” his father folded the paper and held it further away to read it better. “Someone died.”

“Really? Someone we know?”

“It doesn’t say who it is, but I think we would’ve heard it sooner if it was,” his father said, turning the page to read on.

“Damn,” Louis muttered, sucking some butter from his thumb. He sat down in his chair and finished making his sandwich. “I wonder what they were doing in Ashland City. It’s bigger than our town, but still. 15,000 dollars is not the kind of catch a bank robbery usually has.”

His father folded the newspaper and put it on the table. He grabbed some juice and poured some into his glass. “That’s because no one robs the big banks anymore these days. The banks in the larger towns are all high-tech security nowadays. You ain’t gonna find that in a local bank in Ashland City.”

Louis shrugged. “I guess,” he said, chewing on his sandwich. He glanced at the clock above the stove and stood up from his chair. “I have to go, I’m running late.”

“You’re working with Paul today?” his father asked, taking a bite from his cracker.

“Yes, and Nina will be joining for the lunch rush,” Louis said from the hallway, tugging on his shoes.

“Nice girl, you should ask her out sometime!” his father said, standing up from his chair and leaning against the doorpost. “She doesn’t have a boyfriend and her father’s a great chap.”

“That’s the third girl in one week you want me to ask out on a date, you do realise that right?” Louis asked with a grin, raising his eyebrows at his father.

“Just trying to get my son a lovely lass so he can start a family and get out of this dusty town,” his father said, holding up his hands, “Ain’t no crime in that.”

“Perhaps I don’t want to leave, ever thought about that?” Louis asked. He gave his father a quick kiss on the top of his balding head and grabbed his bag from the hallway.

 The door loudly closed behind him and he walked off the wooden stairs. There were only three houses in their street and the closest one was at least 200 yards away. Louis walked down the path, giving a kick against the crooked mailbox at the edge of their lawn.

The walk to the diner was about thirty minutes long but Louis didn’t mind the early morning exercise. The fog still hadn’t cleared up and formed a thick layer on the gravel road. Louis kicked against a few pebbles on the pavement, pushing his hands in the pockets of his denim shorts. His Chucks were worn and close to falling apart but he never made the time to get in the car and drive to the shops. He figured his shoes would never actually fall apart, just like people can’t actually fall apart even though they tend to say so sometimes.

The pavement ended when he got to the town border and he trudged through the high grass alongside the road. It tickled his bare calves and Louis sneezed when a bug tickled his nose. He waved when Mark’s truck passed him. Mark lived on a farm outside of town and drove into the town every morning at 8:45 sharp.

A loud rumble of an engine came closer behind him and Louis stopped and turned around. He caught sight of the black motorcycle and supressed a smile.

Harry was taking off his helmet when Louis came closer, his hair flicking in the wind as he shook his head. He was wearing light blue denim jeans today, smudges of oil and grease on his thighs. His green sunglasses hung from his white shirt.

“It’s not safe for young boys out on the road alone, you know,” Harry said, wedging his helmet between his hip and his elbow.

“Good thing I am not a young boy, then,” Louis countered, crossing his arms. “I was just heading to work. Where are you going so early?”

Harry patted the side of his motorcycle, his rings hitting the metal with a clanging sound. “Going to get some spray paint in the city. Black is getting boring.”

“You’re really not planning on leaving anytime soon, are you?” Louis smiled.

Harry shrugged. “Not an option as long as I haven’t taken you for a ride.” The invitation was making his eyes twinkle.

Louis blushed slightly and blamed it on the heat. “Well, I’ve gotta go to work so not today Curly.” He nodded at the diner in the distance.

“Next time then.” Harry flashed him a smile, showing off his white teeth. He pulled the helmet over his head again and turned the bike, speeding away.

Louis kept his gaze on Harry’s figure, slowly disappearing into the distance. He remembered Niall’s words, about Harry being a lot of things except a good guy. Louis thought maybe Niall was right, maybe Harry wasn’t a good person. The thing that bothered him was that he didn’t really mind as long as Harry was good to him. He shook the disturbing thought away and continued walking.

The keys tingled when Louis pulled them out of his pocket. He opened the door and stepped inside. Every morning was the same routine of opening up the diner and waiting for his boss and his occasional co-worker to arrive. The locals usually came in around 9:15 and until then all Louis had to do was wait.

“Another refill, Laura?” Louis asked, holding the steaming pot of coffee.

“Yes, please. I need to take the kids to the dentist this afternoon and I barely got any sleep last night.”

Louis filled up some more held out coffee cups and then walked to the other side to take a breakfast order.

“Morning Walter, you look like you need some coffee,” he said, filling Walter’s empty mug with the steaming liquid.

Walter, a middle-aged man with a belly which hung over his waistband, groaned and nodded. “Ye heard about that bank robbery in Ashland City yesterday afternoon? I was there, witnessed the motherfucker running out of the bank so the police took me in for questioning. I was there the rest of the night and had to call a babysitter to put the girls to bed.”

“Damn, you were there?” Louis asked, putting down the coffeepot and placing his palms on the counter. “Did you see what he looked like?”

“No, the guy was wearing all black everything. He was on a motorcycle, wore a helmet and these stupid neon green sunglasses.”

Louis looked up. “Sunglasses?”

“What?”

“You said something about sunglasses. Neon green?”

Walter scoffed. “I know right, fucking ridiculous. But damn smart because no one has a clue who it could’ve been. The security cams at the exit have been hanging there since the eighties. They only picked up the tall build of the guy’s body but that’s it. No face or eyes or anything.”

Louis took a few steps back, bumping into his co-worker Laura. “C-Can you take Walter’s order for me? I need to have a quick smoke,” he said, handing over his notepad.

He pushed the exit door of the kitchen open, the sunlight hitting him in the face. He walked down short stairs and sat down on the bottom step. His fingers were shaking slightly as he took out a cigarette from the pack. He brought it to his lips, lit it, and inhaled sharply.

 _It’s a coincidence, it’s a coincidence,_ he repeated over and over in his head, all the while knowing it was not.

He wondered what he should do. Turn Harry in? He did murder someone while robbing that bank. Louis pressed his palms to his eyes, shaking his head. He didn’t have any proof besides the stupid sunglasses and the fact that Harry rode a motorcycle. It wouldn’t get him anywhere. But it would explain so much, such as the man’s sudden appearance and his weird desire to stay instead of riding through the town in under ten minutes like most people did.

He thought of earlier today, running into Harry again. Right there, he’d felt that Harry might not be a good person but he hadn’t minded either. Louis took another drag from his cigarette, his jaw clenching before breathing out the smoke.

A loud banging on the door startled him out of his thoughts.

“I’m not paying you to smoke, dammit! Get your ass in here, Lou,” Paul shouted from the kitchen.

Louis crushed the cigarette underneath his shoe and stood up. He decided not to tell anyone anything and to avoid Harry as much as he could. He might’ve been alright with Harry not being a good person, but a murderer is something his mind couldn’t reach.

-

For two whole weeks, Louis managed not to run into Harry anywhere. Whenever he saw the other man on the street he ducked away or hid behind the corner of a building for a few seconds. He took a different way to work, even though it took him fifteen minutes longer and he had to trudge through the woods for a bit.

He should have known he couldn’t outrun the man forever, and he realized that when he closed off the diner for the night and turned around to see Harry leaning against his bike.

“We’re closed,” Louis said, starting to walk towards the road.

He passed the bike quickly but Harry grabbed a hold of his wrist and tugged him back. “Why are you avoiding me?” he asked.

“I’m not avoiding you, I’ve been busy,” Louis lied.

“You really think I am that stupid not to see you hiding and disappearing every time you see me on the street? I can assure you I am smarter than that.”

“Yes, like you’re smart enough to rob a bank and think no one will find out?” Louis spat, trying to wriggle his wrist loose from Harry’s grip. He tried not to focus on Harry’s long fingers easily encircling his entire wrist or Harry’s bicep straining against his sleeve.

“What on earth are you talking about?” Harry frowns, raising his voice.

“I’m not stupid either, Harry! Walter saw you that afternoon and he saw your stupid sunglasses and I’m going to tell the cops everything if you do not – fucking let me go right now!” Louis yelled, struggling to tug his wrist loose.

“Be quiet,” Harry hissed, pulling Louis in closer.

Louis felt the cold metal of the motorcycle against the front of his thighs, Harry’s hand still encircled around his wrist. He was pressed flush against Harry’s front and he closed his eyes, inhaling the earthy scent.

“You’re not telling anyone a single thing. I rather like you, Louis and I don’t want you to think so badly of me,” Harry whispered, his lips pressed against Louis’ ear.

Louis whined at the contact, biting back a moan when Harry laughed softly. He rested his head in the crook of Harry’s neck, closing his eyes.

“You killed someone,” he mumbled.

“Only because they pulled out their gun first,” Harry muttered, his lips trailing further down and his nose slid along Louis’ neck while he inhaled. “You’re fucking gorgeous, you know.”

“Please, just let me go,” Louis pleaded, trying to clear up his foggy head. He felt himself hardening in his pants and felt mortified at his reaction to Harry who was, as he reminded himself, a murderer.

“It’s late,” Harry said, pulling back. His fingers slid down and he held Louis’ hand. “Let me give you a ride home.”

“N-No, I don’t want to,” Louis said, shaking his head.

“The road is dangerous at night. I’m taking you home,” Harry stated, picking up his helmet with his free hand.

Louis felt his resolve crumbling and Harry noticed, gently sliding the helmet over Louis’ head and fastening the strap underneath his chin. Louis’ feet were shaking as he lifted up his leg, sliding onto the motorcycle. He closed his arms around Harry’s waist and tried not to think about Harry wearing this same helmet while killing someone. All he wanted was to get home and hide himself in his bedroom.

“You ready?” Harry asked, one hand on the handle, revving the engine, and the other one enclosing over Louis’ hands on his stomach.

Louis nodded. “Just ride.”

-

He spent the night tossing and turning in his bed, his sheets rumpled and tied around his legs. Whenever he felt the tiredness sneaking in he’d close his eyes and see Harry’s smile or the skin of his hands or his chest. Eventually Louis gave up on falling asleep and he got up out of bed.

The curtain made a soft swooshing sound as he pushed it away. There was nothing to be seen outside, the pitch black darkness staring back at him. Louis pushed his window open and sat down on the windowsill. He picked up his pack of cigarettes from his nightstand and lit one. He absentmindedly scratched at the label with his thumbnail, blowing the smoke out into the night. There was still a small ache in his wrist from where Harry had tugged him back, but Louis found he wasn’t angry over it. He knew he should be, he knew he should have gone straight to the police to turn Harry in. But he simply couldn’t. There was a story behind all this and Louis wanted to know what it was.

Louis spent the entire following day searching for Harry. He asked around for him but people either did not know him or told Louis that he had to stay far away from people like that. He knew Niall would be back in town tonight but he didn’t text his friend, he wanted to find Harry first. It was so typical that Harry could find him whenever he liked but he could never find Harry.

Eventually Louis gave up on searching; figured Harry was probably staying at the motel on the other side of town. Or murdering people. Louis scoffed at himself for thinking that and he went to the café.

It was a busy night since there were a few truckers in town who were travelling through the state. Louis saw them all hurdled together at the bar, yelling at a game of football on the TV. He gave Mark a thumbs up and then raked his eyes through the place. Harry wasn’t here and Louis sighed deeply, frustration creeping into his veins. He walked towards the other end and sat down on one of the stools, resting his underarms on the cold bar. His nail followed a carving in the wood and he looked up when Mark came to stand still in front of him.

“Anything I can get you, son? You’re looking pretty beat.”

“Just a beer, thanks.” Louis dropped a few dollars on the bar and stole a quick glance at the TV. The truckers had switched the channel to a rerun of the 1996 World Series, discussing the chances of the Cleveland Indians for the final this year.

Mark set the beer down in front of him and gave him another questioning look. “You want to talk about it?”

The corner of Louis’ mouth turned up. “Not really. Just…” he cleared his throat. “Girl trouble, you know.”

“Ah,” Mark got a knowing smile on his face. “Anyone I know?”

Louis swallowed his beer. “I don’t think so. She doesn’t live in a town around here, travels around a lot.”

Mark nodded. “Alright, so what’s up? She wanna make it official and you gettin’ the urge to run away?”

“No,” Louis smiled, staring down at his hands enveloping his glass. “Nothing happened between us but, like, there could be if I just did it. I think,” he cleared his throat, “I think she’d be okay with it if I made a move. But I know it could get me into a lot of trouble if I got with her.”

“You know what they say,” Mark said, “’Break in the sun ‘til the sun breaks down.’”

“I have no idea what that means,” Louis said, taking a sip of beer and all the while keeping an eye on his surroundings. Harry may not turn up but that didn’t mean Niall wouldn’t.

“It means that if you want it to work, you’ve got to make it work even if it’s gonna be hard,” Mark said, grabbing the dishcloth from the bar. “Now, drink your beer and get your girl or go home. Simple as that, kid.”

“I don’t want a relationship if that’s what you’re implying with your spiritual gibberish,” Louis called after Mark, but the bartender was already ringing up someone else’s order.

“Whatever,” he mumbled, downing the rest of his beer in one gulp. He set the glass back on the bar with a loud thud and then slid off of his stool.

He was about to step outside until someone slid between him and the door. Louis took a step back and looked at the man, recognised him as one of the truckers who’d been standing by the bar earlier, yelling at the TV.

“Aren’t you a pretty lil’ thing,” the man slurred, his breath stinking of alcohol. He brought his hand up and slid a finger along Louis’ fringe. “Pretty and cute.”

Louis slapped the man’s hand away and gave him an angry look. “Don’t touch me and get out of my way,” he demanded.

The man grinned broadly, gold shimmering in his mouth. He held a beer in the other hand and took a big gulp. He burped loudly. “No,” he grinned. “I like your type, feisty.” He licked his lips with dark intent, eyes raving over Louis’ body.

“What’s going on over there?” Louis heard Mark call from behind the bar.

“Nothing, nothing,” the trucker said, lifting his arm and waving his hand at Mark in a dismissive motion. Louis scrunched his nose up when he smelled the scent of sweat and beer and jizz coming from the man.

“Now,” the bald man turned back towards Louis and stroked a rough hand up and down his arm, “Why don’t I show you my truck so we can have a good ti—”

A downpour of green glass shatters ricocheted off his head with a hard smash of a bottle. The man collapsed to his knees with a loud and painful moan, revealing the man who stood behind him.

Harry blew his hair out of his eyes and threw the remainders of the bottle away. He stared darkly at Louis, taking his hand and tugging him closer. “I’m sorry,” Harry said to the groaning trucker on the floor. “I think he prefers motorcycles over trucks.”

The night’s breeze fell gently around Louis as Harry tugged him outside. The sun had already set and the sky was an indigo colour with the moon disappearing behind the tops of the pine trees. There were muffled shouts heard from inside and Louis thought Mark had gotten hold of the trucker.

“You stay here outside,” Harry said with his back turned to Louis. He lifted his shirt and pulled out the gun which was stuck between his back and the waistband of his jeans. The sharp sound of the gun cocking rattled in Louis’ ears and Harry turned back around, stalking towards the café.

“Don’t!” Louis ran to stand in front of Harry, pushing his palms against the centre of Harry’s chest. “He’s not worth it, nothing happened and he didn’t hurt me Harry. There are tons of people in there who know who you are and where you’re staying! It’s not worth it, it’s not.”

“Louis, get out of my way,” Harry said with a clenched jaw, barely keeping his anger under control. “That motherfucker touched you and he was prepared to do a whole lot more to you and that’s fucking unacceptable! I wonder how many boys he’ll be able to touch after I’m through with shooting his fucking hands off—”

Louis slapped him.

“Stop it! Just—fuck Harry. Just calm down! Get your bike and we’re out of here, together. I mean it, just ride somewhere with me and put the fucking gun away before I’m gonna scream for Mark to beat you up instead of that guy inside.”

Harry took a step forward and towered over Louis. He brought his hands up to Louis’ face, cupping his cheeks and forcing him to look into his eyes. “Don’t you _ever_ hit me again, do you understand?”

Louis felt the cold metal of the gun against his ear and he nodded. “I’m sorry.”

Harry gave him a short nod, his thumbs trailing circles over Louis’ cheekbones. “Fine. Where do you want to go?”

“There’s this playground on the other side of town, it should be deserted by now,” Louis said, his eyes never leaving Harry’s face. “We could go there for a bit.”

Harry’s mouth twitched. “Okay. Just – wait here for a second.” He let go of Louis and walked towards the café.

“Harry, I just fucking told you not to—”

Harry turned back around and pushed the gun into Louis’ hands. He gave him an annoyed look. “I told you I wouldn’t do it so you can take me up on that. Just gimme a sec.”

The gun was heavy in Louis’ hands and he nodded. Harry disappeared back inside and most of the muffled thumping and yelling faded away. Louis turned the gun around and lifted it up, pointing it at the ashtray on the picnic table.

“ _Poof!_ ” he whispered as he mimicked firing a shot. The cold metal was slowly warming up in his sweaty palms and Louis wondered where Harry learned how to fire a gun.

The door of the café opened again and Harry came out. He carried a bottle of Scotch in one hand and held out the other. Louis’ cheeks tinged with an embarrassed red and he handed the gun back to Harry.

“You stole this?” he asked, taking the Scotch from Harry and looking at the label. It was still half full and Louis screwed the cap off and took a sip. He licked his lips and then closed the bottle again.

“I prefer the term _commandeered_ ,” Harry said, a slight smirk tugging on the corners of his lips. He got on the bike and stuck the gun back in his waistband. The helmet was hanging from one of the handles and he held it out for Louis.

“I thought only pirates and the navy used words like that,” Louis remarked, putting the helmet on and getting on the bike.

“Don’t tell me you never wished to be a pirate when you were young. Or a mermaid,” Harry said, starting the motorcycle. He turned a bit towards Louis and rapped his knuckles against the helmet. “Hold on tight.”

Louis clutched his arms around Harry’s waist and he thought that if he weren’t wearing the helmet, he would’ve pressed his nose into Harry’s waving hair.

-

“This is where they taught you how to spell?” Harry asked, leaning against the bike with his arms crossed. He was staring at the dark building of Louis’ primary school.

“Yeah, it’s the only school in town and I met my friend Niall here. It wasn’t so bad,” Louis said, taking a swig from the Scotch and handing the bottle back to Harry. He kicked against a few pebbles and tiptoed over the white stripes of the parking lot.

Harry took a sip as well, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “It looks fucking depressing.”

“I think that’s one of the requirements for being a school,” Louis pointed out, holding onto the pole of the streetlight with one hand and swinging around it. The stars above him faded into white lines as he circled and circled and circled—

Harry’s hands around his waist stopped him and Louis brought his gaze back to the other man’s green eyes. Harry was looking at him with a shimmer of wonder and affection in his eyes and his large tattooed arms spread around Louis’ waist, making him feel safer than ever. A shaky breath left Louis’ mouth and his eyes flitted briefly to Harry’s lips. Harry noticed and brought one hand up to Louis’ jaw, softly fitting their lips together.

Harry’s lips were warm and slightly chapped and Louis couldn’t suppress a deep sigh. He stood up on his tiptoes but Harry had him crowded against the pole of the streetlight. Louis’ breathing hitched when Harry’s hands found their way underneath his shirt, stroking his lower back and thumbing at his hipbones. Harry’s kisses and his touches were gentle but there was an underlying power and strength to them which made Louis’ breathing quicken. They pressed a few short kisses against each other’s lips and then Harry pulled back, raking a hand through Louis’ fringe.

“I’ve been wanting to do that since the day I walked into the diner,” he muttered.

“You did not,” Louis countered with a slight smile, his hands on Harry’s lower back, fiddling with the hem of his shirt.

“Okay, I didn’t,” Harry admitted with a grin, “But I did think that you were fucking gorgeous.”

Louis smiled and pressed another kiss to Harry’s lips. “I thought the same about you. Too bad you were too much of a dick back then for me to wiggle my ass for you.”

“Trust me, that happens even if you’re not doing it deliberately,” Harry said, playfully pinching Louis’ ass. “Now, show me this playground you wanted to go to.”

Louis smiled, “Sure. It’s over there.”

Their shoes made scuffing noises on the gravel of the parking lot. Louis placed his hand on the fence around the school’s playground and swung his legs over it with ease. Harry followed and they both sat down on the swings, the bottle of Scotch placed on the rubber tiles underneath their feet.

Harry picked up the bottle and unscrewed the cap. He brought it up to his lips and swallowed, mouth twitching with the strong taste. “I can’t believe anyone can grow up in a place like this.”

Louis shrugged. “It’s not that bad. Everyone I know and care about is within this ten mile radius.”

“You’ve never left town?” Harry asked, raising his eyebrows.

Louis frowned. “Of course I have. I’ve just never left the state, and why should I? Got everything I need right here.”

“You don’t know that until you actually leave.” Harry pointed the bottle at him and Louis took it.

“What about you? Tell me something about yourself. Were you actually born somewhere or did you ride your way through the galaxies and the stars to this godforsaken place to save people like me from the scum of the earth?” Louis asked, raising his eyebrows pointedly at Harry.

Harry closed his fingers around the metal chains of the swing and started swaying back and forth. “If you’re expecting me to tell my tale of woe then you have another thing coming.”

“I’m not interested in your tale of woe, I just want to know where you were born. Because if you’re in the US illegally then I might have to turn you in, you know,” Louis smiled.

“You’re letting me walk for killing a man and robbing banks but you’d turn me in if I was an illegal citizen?” Harry raised his eyebrows, the signature half-smile back on his face.

Louis shrugged. “I don’t realise what I say fifty percent of the time, you’ll get used to it soon enough. And I’d prefer you not talk about those things you do for whatever reason.”

He pushed his feet off the ground and started swinging, the movement making his shirt flutter. The dark trees surrounding the playground all faded into one dark smattering of colour. The cold chain of the swing was cooling his hands and he whipped his head sideways and he stared at Harry. And Harry looked back, the dark expression he usually wore clearing away with every time Louis went back and forth on the squeaking swing.

-

The fast and near-to-death rides on Harry’s motorcycle were something Louis got used to within no time at all. It was addictive, it made his thoughts move faster through his head, his eyes more alert for the things swooshing past them, the nerve endings in his fingers feeling as if they were on fire every time his hands clutched in Harry’s shirt.

A weird sense of normality came over them all throughout July and August. Harry would pick him up after work and they would go for a ride through the woods or on the long deserted roads of which Louis had always thought led to nowhere. They ate ice cream at local run-down stands along the roads and Louis had never laughed as hard in his life as when Harry took them to the fair three towns over.

And if Harry sometimes showed up with bandages around his knuckles or a gash in his eyebrows, Louis wouldn’t say anything. He’d give him a kiss and then haul him off to somewhere else to forget about everything for just a few brief moments.

There were many times Louis thought about calling it all off. He thought about cutting Harry from his life because of the blood on the man’s hands and his reluctance to share a single thing about himself from before Louis had met him. But then Harry would show up with an American flag wrapped around his head like a headscarf and scuffmarks on his boots and platinum rings around his fingers which were initially cold against Louis’ skin. And whenever Harry looked at him like he was the sun, Louis simply forgot wanting to stop shining for him at all.

-

Louis stalked through the deserted aisles of the small supermarket, the wheels of the cart making screeching noises every time he turned a corner. He threw some bread and waffles into the cart, walked on and then skidded to a stop, the soles of his Chucks squeaking on the linoleum floor.

Harry turned his head at the sound and walked away from the shelves with cigarettes and walked over to Louis. “Paul told me you were out for some groceries for the diner,” he said, stuffing a pack of cigarettes in his jacket without looking around.

Louis rolled his eyes and rested his elbows on the cart. “You do know I actually follow the news, right?”

Harry’s face tensed at his tone. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Really?” Louis raised his eyebrows. “So you didn’t rob the bank on Highland Street in Glaston Hill last Wednesday?” He grabbed a box filled with small sugar bags and dropped it in the cart. He walked around it and reached up his hand to Harry’s eye, his thumb prodding against the dark bruise.

“Let me guess,” he said sharply, turning back to the shelves and dropping some more items in the cart. “Since you didn’t rob a bank, you got that bruise by accidentally walking into the medicine cabinet in the bathroom?”

“You know damn well I didn’t,” Harry hissed.

“Then why do you have it?!” Louis spat out, cheeks heating up with anger. “I know we have this unspoken rule that I don’t ask you about your shit and you don’t ask me about mine but whatever you’re doing, you’re getting sloppier. And it’s gotta stop right now. I mean it Haz, one more bruise or one more news article and I’m done with you.”

Harry walked up to him and crowded into Louis’ space, pressing him against the shelving. “If I listened or obeyed everyone I’ve ever kissed I’d be a dead man right now.”

“Yeah, well I’m not everyone and I refuse to be treated like that,” Louis hissed back. “What happens if you die, huh? What happens if your precious little bike breaks down during your getaway or you catch a flat tire? What the fuck is going to happen when the cops catch you Harry?”

“Nothing. Nothing will happen because they’re not catching me, I promise,” Harry said, pressing a kiss to Louis’ forehead in attempt to calm the younger man down.

“I’ve read the article, okay,” Louis said harshly, wriggling away from Harry and grabbing a few bottles of olive oil from another shelf. He placed them in the cart and clenched his finger around the handlebar. “They almost had you Wednesday if it weren’t for your crazy action to keep on riding towards the train tracks while the train was coming and passing in front of it just in time. If the cops were reckless lunatics like you then they would’ve had you!”

“But that’s the thing, Louis,” Harry countered. “They’re not reckless like me. And if you cannot handle me like that then that’s not my fault. Then you shouldn’t go for men who are willing to kill themselves driving on the edge of the thrill looking for normality.”

“I can bloody handle that, okay?! I can handle you and your fucked up personality but I will not have you dying because of something stupid. So if you want to do what you do, then you better make sure you’re the best damn robber they have ever seen or soon you’ll be lying in a ditch somewhere with the wheels of your bike still spinning.”

Harry groaned loudly in frustration, kicking against the bottom of one of the shelves and stalked down the aisle, only to turn back around and walk back to Louis. He grabbed Louis by the waist and crushed their lips together in a searing hot kiss.

“You fucking drive me insane, you know that?” he muttered heatedly against Louis’ lips, squeezing his hips.

“Would you notice me if I didn’t?” Louis asked, tugging harshly on one of Harry’s curls. “I’m serious, you know?” he whispered.

“I know. I’ll do better next time, I promise.”

-

Louis sat on one of the benches in the town square. His eyes were closed, his arms spread on the backrest of the wooden bench and he was soaking up the sunlight. There were a few people in the town square, most of them walking their dogs or chatting up one another near the fountain. There were two children playing behind him, doodling on the street with their drawing chalks. Louis heard their loud chatter and giggles, the scratching of the chalk on the concrete.

It had been a while since he’d last seen Harry. The whole ordeal in the supermarket was nearly a week ago and Louis had no idea what the other man was up to. He was pretty sure he did not want to know either. Right now he was looking at Harry’s motorcycle, which was parked across the street in between two cars. Harry was nowhere to be seen but Louis was okay with sitting here in the sun, waiting for him to turn up.

“Louis Tomlinson! Where the devil have you been?”

Louis turned around quickly and relaxed when he saw Niall walking towards him, arms spread wide. His friend was wearing a baseball shirt and the same colour Chucks he had, only Niall’s were far better off than his own.

“Hi Ni,” Louis said, standing up from the bench and meeting his friend halfway, hugging him tightly. “I didn’t know you would be back in town again.”

“Things are pretty calm at the University right now,” Niall said, “The perks of a sport programme – the season only starts in September. Two more weeks of basically nothing and then I’ll be holed up in some shitty gym to get fit again.”

They both sat down on the bench and Niall smiled at the two little girls. They had stopped colouring and looked at him curiously. They blushed when Niall pulled a funny face.

“Right, you’ve added a sports programme to your studies. When did you become so studious?” Louis teased.

“The sports are only distracting me from realising how fucking boring my classes are.”

“I wouldn’t know but you’re probably right,” Louis admitted, “But still, things are better over there than here I suppose? How are things going between you and that girl you talked about?”

Niall pulled a face. “I got with her roommate on her birthday.”

“You’re joking!” Louis exclaimed, eyes widening. “How the fuck did you manage to do that?”

Niall held up his hands defensively. “Everything has a reason, Tommo, just hear me out. So like, it was her birthday and as a nice guy I decided to give her something y’know, so I bought her flowers and some chocolate.”

“It’s her birthday, not Valentine’s,” Louis said, scrunching his nose up.

“Yeah well, it’s not like I actually knew what she liked besides the sixty-nine.”

Louis snorted and shook his head in both exasperation and fondness, moving his hand. “Continue.”

“So I went to her room and her smoking hot roommate opens the door and is all like: ‘I’m sorry, Nina isn’t here because she went out to town’ and then I figured I could give the flowers and the chocolate to her. Before I knew it she got to her knees and I’m only human, Lou, so of course I didn’t refuse.”

“Well at least the other girl didn’t walk in on you two,” Louis sighed, shaking his head. Sometimes he wondered what he would be like if he ever went to University. Would he sleep with everything that moved, or focus on his studies or do nothing all day?

“No she didn’t, but I think she and her roommate figured out I was banging both of them. They slammed the door in my face two times so yeah,” Niall scratched the side of his nose. “Anyway, enough about me. How have you been?”

“Same old same old,” Louis said without missing a beat.

“Really?” Niall sighed, “God, Lou, whenever you say something like that I want to stuff you in my suitcase and drag you along to Uni and keep you in my dorm like the pet I’m not allowed to have. Your life is literally passing you by in this shitty excuse for a town.”

“Hey,” Louis said, “I happen to like this shitty excuse for a town. Not everyone is meant to leave wherever they come from. Some people are bound to stay and I feel like I am probably one of them.”

“But it’s like I am watching you rot away bro.”

Louis playfully stomped Niall’s elbow. “I’ve been told I am fucking gorgeous so I don’t believe you.”

“Really?” Niall turned sideways, tucking his right feet underneath his left leg and he raised his eyebrows. “Who told you that?”

Louis’ mind went blank for a few seconds and his eyes flitted to Harry’s motorcycle across the street. “No one important,” he finally said.

“Shame,” Niall shrugged, “I thought maybe a nice girl or boy would be able to get your ass out of this town. Are you still working with Laura by the way? She wasn’t much at school but I’m an optimist.”

Louis smiled. “Yes, I’m still working with her but I am pretty sure she’s engaged to this hotshot law student. But, if I may quote you, everything can be broken.”

“That’s true, though,” Niall nodded, pointing his finger at Louis, “But I’m not going to mess up someone’s engagement, that’s too low even for me.”

“You’ve got a good heart,” Louis said solemnly. “And, as to what you said earlier, maybe I will leave this place once I’ve found the right person. I’m romantic like that.”

“You always were.”

Louis grinned at his friend, turning his head once he heard the sudden grumble of a motor coming to life. He saw Harry pushing his helmet over his curls, a bandana hanging from one of the belt loops of his jeans.

“Christ, that guy still here?” he heard Niall behind him.

Louis stared at Harry, who’d noticed him standing there and beckoned him over. “Yeah,” he eventually told Niall, “He’s still here. One second.”

He looked sideways and then crossed the street, jogging up to where Harry was sitting on his bike. The shadow of the building took away some of the precious heat and Louis placed his hands in his sides once he reached Harry.

“Hey, haven’t seen you in a while,” he said, giving Harry a smile.

“I switched motels,” Harry explained, bringing his hands back from the handles to his lap and he looked at Louis from under the edge of the helmet. “You look great.”

“Thanks,” Louis grinned. He briefly looked over his shoulder to where Niall was still sitting, a worried frown above his eyes. “Hey, would you mind if I came over tonight? I just, haven’t seen you these past few days and that last fight we had—I just, want to make things better, if that’s okay with you?”

He could see from the way Harry’s eyes crinkled that he was smiling. “Of course,” he said, turning slight and opening his bag, the leather worn thin. He grabbed a pen and clicked it, taking Louis’ hand. The tip of the pen pressed into Louis’ skin as Harry wrote the address down.

Harry’s eyes flitted to Niall and he fiddled with the strap of his helmet, taking it off. “Give us a kiss?” he asked.

Louis hesitated but then smiled and leaned in, pressing his lips against Harry’s. The other man smelled like motor oil and cinnamon and Louis drifted his hand up the inside of Harry’s thigh, smirking mischievously as he pulled back.

Harry chuckled and shook his head softly. “You’re fucking crazy.”

“That’s why you like me.”

“I do,” Harry said, giving Louis another kiss before putting his helmet back on.

Louis crossed his arms and smiled faintly as Harry drove away. When Harry turned a corner and went out of sight, Louis walked back to Niall. His friend was shaking his head and he looked up when Louis came near.

“No, no, no. I’m not agreeing with this at all,” he stated.

“ _Summer lovin’, had me a blast_ ,” Louis hummed. “Don’t worry Niall, I haven’t asked him to marry me yet; I usually wait a month or two before I do that.”

“Louis, this is serious,” Niall said, his sea blue eyes wide open. “I’ve heard about all the bank robberies in the towns surrounding this one and it’s not hard to do the math. It all started when he showed up here and it won’t be long before the cops are going to take the anonymous tips people have left seriously. He’s a bad person Louis and you need to remember that.”

“You think I don’t know what he’s up to?” Louis asked, raising his eyebrows. “Because I do, Niall, trust me I do. But I don’t care and I don’t know why. Call me insane and borderline psychotic but he makes me feel more alive than I’ve ever felt and he never made me feel unsafe once.”

“This is sick,” Niall scoffed, shaking his head and leaning against the backrest of the bench. “You were always a bit unusual but this really hits the mark. He’s a fucking criminal—”

“—which isn’t a synonym for a bad person,” Louis finished. He sighed deeply and brought his hands up to his face, rubbing his eyes. “I know I’m being ridiculous but I can’t help it. And I don’t want it to stop so I just don’t think about the consequences.”

“It’s irresponsible, that’s what it is.”

Louis stood up. “I don’t have to listen to this,” he sighed, walking away.

“You’re walking away because you don’t want to be confronted with the fact that whatever you’re doing is fucking insane!” Niall called after him.

Louis ignored it, shook his head like he could shake Niall’s true words out of it. He crossed the street and turned a corner.

-

He sat on the steps in front of the house, smoking his third cigarette. A can of Coke was placed next to his feet on the concrete ground, the condensation dripping down the side of the can. He brought it to his mouth, the sharp metal digging in his upper lip as he took a sip of the cold drink. The beaten wood of the small stairs was rough against the bare skin of his calves and Louis slid down a bit, leaning his elbows back on the second step.

His dog Nora was lying near his feet, chewing on a branch and looking up at Louis every once in a while, like she expected him to throw the branch away.

“Why does everyone want me to fucking leave this town?” Louis asked Nora, the dog slowly blinking up at him.

“Like for instance dad, who has lived here his entire life and never once made the move to get out of here. That same man is urging me to go on dates with girls and even boys, hoping that one of them will be able to whisk me away to the city or at least past the town border.”

“And you know what?” Louis took a drag from his cigarette, breathing out the smoke which blew up and away to the pine trees. “Maybe dad’s right. And Niall could be right as well, maybe I should just make the move myself and leave this town on my own, but what good would that do? I have nowhere to go to, no actual reason to leave besides the sake of leaving which everyone around here keeps glorifying.”

Nora stood up from where she’d been lying and walked up the bottom step, resting her head in Louis’ lap.

“If someone actually gave me _a good reason_ to get out here, I might even consider it. But all everyone keeps bringing up is how I am getting older and haven’t seen shit of the world. Since when did that became a requirement for a good life, huh?”

Louis looked down at Nora, the dog contently nuzzling against his knee. He gently patted her head. “Oh well,” he sighed, “What do you know? You’re just a fucking dog.”

-

That evening, Louis took the old beaten truck his father owned and drove to the motel. It was even more deserted and dilapidated than the one in his own town. Three of the five blue neon letters were broken, spelling out only **MT**.

Louis parked the car into the parking lot and the door made a clanging sound as he closed it. He held up his hand with the address and the room number. Harry had one of the bottom rooms and Louis walked past a vending machine and an abandoned cleaning cart, knocking on the door.

“Harry, it’s me,” Louis said, pressing close against the door and looking around him.

He heard the chain being slid away and the lock turned. The door opened slight and Harry’s face appeared, the man looking over Louis’ head for anything suspicious before pulling Louis inside.

“Hi gorgeous,” Harry whispered, pressing Louis against the closed door and kissing him, moving his own hands behind his back to tug his gun back in his waistband.

“You really did pick a lovely castle for yourself,” Louis whispered against Harry’s lips, smiling as well when he felt the other man smiling.

“Can’t be picky if you’re on the run,” Harry pressed a kiss to Louis’ forehead and then pulled back. “I was just organising this, let me put it away.”

Louis got a good look of the room and concluded that it really wasn’t much. There was a bed in the middle of the room, covered by the sheets with a yellow flowery pattern. A table stood against the other side of the wall, two chairs lined up against it which looked like they would break down if you dared to take a seat on them. There were take-out containers on the table, some of them still closed.

Harry noticed Louis looking and said, “Yeah, I ordered those ten minutes ago. I don’t know if you like Chinese, or if you’re hungry.” He wiped back a few curls from his face and gave Louis a smile which looked a bit shy. Louis thought it was funny a man like Harry could even appear something as closed to embarrassed, but he definitely didn’t mind.

“It looks great, thanks,” he said, carefully sitting down on one of the chairs. It squeaked dangerously but it remained standing. He picked up the first carton, opened it and grabbed the chopsticks.

He took a bite and then pointed the chopsticks to the stacks of money on the bed. “When did you get that?” he asked, chewing on a piece of chicken.

“Two days ago,” Harry said, picking up one bundle of bills and he threw it to Louis.

Louis caught it and inspected it. “What is this, like three grand?” he asked, using his other hand with the chopsticks to bring up some chicken to his mouth. He chewed as he tore the label and he spread the money like a fan. “Damn, how many of these did you get?”

“Thirty bundles,” Harry said, walking over to Louis and gently raking his hand through his hair, pushing the fringe upwards. “I just finished counting, it’s almost one hundred grand. And this is just my cut, I think the whole thing was about four hundred grand.”

“Just your cut?” Louis looked up at Harry. “You’re working together with some people now?”

“Had to,” Harry shrugged, “They might be stupid and fucking crazy but there’s a big difference between fifteen thousand dollars and one hundred thousand dollars.”

“Okay,” Louis said, slowly swallowing and studying the money on the bed. Harry’s helmet was on the nightstand, next to his three packs of cigarettes. “Do the other guys ride motorcycles too?” He asked his questions carefully, knowing how rare these moments were when Harry would actually tell him things about himself and what he did.

Harry sat down on the chair in front of Louis, opening up one of the other containers. He picked up his own pair of chopsticks and ate some of the rice. “No,” he eventually said. “One of them guards the exit, the other two make sure there’s a getaway van for me to ride my bike into. They’re far too stupid and thoughtless to go inside the bank.”

“So it’s all still you who actually robs the bank?” Louis asked, taking a sip from the glass of water Harry had poured him.

“Yeah, same like before. I just couldn’t stay very long before because I had to get out of there and escape on my own. That’s why I picked the small banks before, the win was small but at least I could manage to do it by myself.”

“Then why did you get these guys to help you?”

Harry looked up from his food, a vague smile on his face. “Because someone told me quite fiercely to stop being so reckless. I’m afraid I didn’t fulfil your wish to stay out of the newspapers but at least I’m not dead.”

He met Harry’s eyes, a warm feeling spreading in his chest. Louis slowly set down his food container and laid down the chopsticks on the table. The chair made a small noise as he pushed it backwards and stood up.

Raising his eyebrows in curiosity, Harry’s smirk widened when Louis walked up to him. Louis stood between Harry and the table, letting his fingers wander up Harry’s thighs slowly. “You didn’t show up in town for quite a while, you know,” he mumbled, following the movements of his own fingers with his eyes. “I was starting to get worried.”

Harry leaned forward slight, resting his hands on the back on Louis’ knees and sliding them upwards, squeezing his ass. “There was no need for that, I promise,” he says, swallowing hard.

Spreading his legs and moving forward, Louis sat down on Harry’s lap with his legs on either side of the man’s hips. He felt his cock hardening inside his pants and he rubbed his ass against Harry’s groin, smiling at the shaky breath which left Harry’s lips. “You don’t know how happy I was to see you in the town square this afternoon,” he whispered, leaning forward and catching Harry’s earlobe between his lips. He revelled in the way Harry grabbed his hips harder. “My friend doesn’t approve of you though, he thinks you’re a bad influence.”

Harry wound his arm around Louis’ waist, holding on tight and moving the bulge in his pants along Louis’ ass. “Can’t imagine why,” he breathed, catching Louis’ lips in a hard kiss. He held on to Louis’ waist, bringing his other hand up to cup his jaw and he slid his tongue inside Louis’ mouth.

A soft moan left Louis’ lips when Harry’s tongue moved along his own and he felt his hips bucking, wanting to feel the curve of the other man’s cock against his ass. Harry’s lips were warm and slick and they moved away from Louis’ mouth to suck on his neck. His thighs trembled when Harry sucked on the spot behind his ear, teeth nearly breaking the skin. “Harry, f-fuck,” Louis moaned, feeling his cock dripping against the fabric of his briefs.

“Tell me what you want, Lou,” Harry breathed against his skin. His fingers tugged on the collar of Louis’ shirt, revealing a part of his shoulder and his collarbone. He brought his mouth down again, sucking another bruise on the soft skin.

“Fuck me,” Louis whined, “I want you to fuck me.” He deliberately rubbed his ass down on Harry’s bulge again, looking at the man through hooded eyelids.

“Shit, you’re so fucking—” Harry gritted through his teeth, his fingers swiftly pulling Louis’ shirt over his head. “—fucking irresistible.”

Louis heart beat loudly inside his chest when Harry grabbed his thighs, lifting them up from the chair. His mind briefly noted all the money Harry had neatly laid out over the bed but Harry didn’t seem to remember, lying Louis down on the bed and pulling his own shirt over his head.

The money was soft against Louis’ back and he whined softly when he realised how hard this was making him. Harry seemed to notice because he smirked, unbuckling his belt and sliding his jeans and briefs down in one go.

“Fuck,” Louis whispered, staring at Harry’s hard cock and biting down on his lower lip. He resisted the urge to promptly roll over on his stomach and let Harry have his way. Instead, he sat up slightly and held out his hand for Harry to take, tugging the man on top of him.

Harry’s fingers were fiddling with Louis’ belt, stumbling over the buckle every time Louis’ nails scratched at his skin or his lips sucked a bruise on his neck. Eventually he slid the zipper down and pulled Louis’ pants off, dropping it by the foot of the bed.

“God, I knew it,” he grinned, sitting back on his knees in between Louis’ legs. He slid his hands up and down Louis’ thighs.

“Knew what?” Louis asked, wriggling slightly underneath Harry’s big hands. He keened every time Harry slid his fingertips underneath the edge of his briefs but they never really touched him and it drove him mad. He lifted up on of his legs and slid his foot along Harry’s calve, urging the man to move forward and touch him again.

“I knew you’d be so fucking soft to touch,” Harry said, biting his lower lip and leaning down, softly biting the inside of Louis’ thigh.

Louis yelped and unconsciously bucked his hips, searching for some kind of friction on his hard cock. He sighed in relief when Harry curled his fingertips around the waistband of his briefs, tugging them down and off his feet. Harry’s lips were on his exposed skin immediately, sucking and biting and licking the insides of his thighs, his hipbones and Louis moaned loudly when Harry’s lips enclosed around the head of his cock. “Fuck, Harry, you’re so fucking evil,” he grit out between his teeth, his sight fogging up with the pleasure.

He felt Harry smirking around his cock and he brought his fingers down in Harry’s hair, tugging and waving them through his thick curls. Harry’s tongue licked down the underside of his cock as he took him deeper, his pink lips stretched around Louis’ cock. His large hands were kneading the underside of Louis’ thighs and he brought them up, hooking them over his broad shoulders.

Louis breathed out shallow breaths and moans, hooking his ankles on Harry’s back. He bucked his hips when Harry took him down entirely, his nose touching the fingers massaging the base of his cock. “Fuck, Haz, oh my God,” Louis moaned, wiping a sweaty hand across his forehead.

The whole room blurred away and Louis fixed his eyes on Harry’s head moving in between his thighs, one of his hands coming up to fondle Louis’ balls. He rolled them in his palm and Louis dug the heels of his feet in the muscle of Harry’s shoulders.

The muscles in his back relaxed when Harry slowly slid off, his hands coming up to massage Louis’ calves. His mouth was slick with spit and pre-cum and Louis leaned up, his hands grabbing the sides of Harry’s face and he brought their lips together in a messy kiss. Harry’s hard cock was pressing against his own as he pulled them both down on the bed, the bundles of money moving underneath their weight and digging into his shoulders.

“You look so fucking sexy like this Lou,” Harry whispered heatedly against his lips, his hands sliding down from Louis’ ribs to his ass and he squeezed the cheeks. “I can’t wait to fuck you, to bury my cock in that fucking ass of yours,” he groaned, grinding his cock against Louis’.

“Shit,” Louis moaned, feeling the slick head of Harry’s cock moving against his own. “Do it, come on Harry, fuck me.”

Harry kissed Louis’ lips a few times before slowly moving off the bed. Louis followed Harry’s movements with his eyes, his gaze raking over Harry’s ass and his tattooed back and shoulders. Harry bent down to pick up his jacket, taking a condom out of the pocket. He then walked towards the bag in the corner of the room, taking a small bottle of lube from one of the side pockets. He turned around and moved back up the bed, kissing the inside of Louis’ knee before meeting his eyes.

“Have you ever done this before?” He asked, his finger trailing eights on Louis’ hipbone.

“Twice,” Louis mumbled, “In high school. I had a boyfriend for a while but he, erm, he didn’t like hurting me so we didn’t do it a lot.”

“Didn’t like hurting you huh?” Harry said, laying the condom and the lube down next to Louis’ hip. He lied down on top of Louis, elbows on either side of his head. He leaned down and brought his lips to Louis’ ear. “Then why do I feel like that’s exactly what you like? You get off on a little pain, don’t you?”

Louis moaned when Harry sucked a new bruise behind his ear, darkening the one already there. “Yes,” he gritted out between his teeth, embarrassment tinging his cheeks.

“Bet you’ll look so damn pretty when I fuck into you hard,” Harry groaned, his hand reaching for the lube. He took the cap off and squirted some lube onto his fingers. “Open your legs for me, gorgeous.”

Opening his legs, Louis looked up at the ceiling, wondering for just a few seconds if this was the best he’d ever felt in his entire life. And then Harry pressed a slick finger against his entrance and he dug his heels into the mattress, some money falling off the bed.

“Are you good?” Harry asked, slowly moving his finger around, waiting for Louis to get used to the intrusion.

“I’m good,” Louis whispered, droplets of sweat dripping down his temples. Harry leaned down and caught his lips in a kiss again, sliding in the second finger. Louis groaned at the slight burn but rocked his hips slightly, his muscles adjusting and his body relaxing.

Harry slowly scissored his fingers, pressing them against the walls and Louis slowly loosened up. He rubbed his fingers against the soft skin, searching for the spot and finding it when Louis moaned loudly.

“Again,” he pleaded, and Harry rubbed the pads of his fingers along Louis’ prostate, making him see stars. “I’m ready,” he moaned.

“You’re not, baby,” Harry said, pressing his lips against Louis’ forehead. “I’m not going to injure you, just take your time.” He slowly moved the tip of his third finger along Louis’ rim, loosening it slowly before slipping the third finger in.

The burn was heating Louis up from the inside and it hurt but at the same time he still saw Harry’s concentrated face, the green eyes staring intently at him and he knew there would be no way back after tonight. So he lifted his legs and exposed himself further, staring into Harry’s eyes and whispering, “Fuck me, I can’t wait anymore, I’m ready.”

Harry nodded and kissed him, slowly pulling his fingers out and grabbing the condom. He tore the wrapper loose with his lips and pulled the condom down over his length, stroking some lube over his cock.

“Oh my fucking God,” Louis whispered. Harry’s hand splayed over his stomach and the other hand guided his cock to Louis’ hole, pressing inside.

“Fuck Lou, you’re so fucking tight,” Harry groaned, bringing his hands up to bracket Louis’ hips and pushing his cock slightly further.

Louis bit down on his lower lip, tasting blood on his tongue but he didn’t care. Harry’s cock was huge and slick inside of him and his body was screaming for him to back away but Louis didn’t. He moved his hips down, taking in another inch of Harry’s cock and then gave him a small nod. “Come on Haz, take me,” he muttered.

Closing his eyes for a second, Harry pushed up into Louis, holding his hips until he bottomed out. His pelvis was pressing against Louis’ ass and his breathing escaped him in shallow breaths.

“Fucking hell, Louis, you’re too fucking perfect,” he groaned, pulling back slightly and pushing inside the clenching heat again.

Louis moaned when he felt his hole stretching further to take the thick base of Harry’s cock and he tried to open his legs even wider. Harry started rocking his hips in a steady rhythm, Louis’ body getting used to his cock and he held one hand onto Louis’ shoulders, pulling him down every time he thrust inside.

“Harder,” Louis said, his hands finding purchase on Harry’s shoulders and he crossed his ankles on Harry’s lower back, urging him to move faster.

“You’re incredible,” Harry panted, moving his hips faster, pounding his cock harder inside Louis’ tight hole.

Louis let out a silent scream when the head of Harry’s cock hit his prostate and his nails scratched at the skin of Harry’s shoulders. “T-There,” he panted, lifting his hips up and Harry grabbed them, pulling Louis harder onto his cock.

The room seemed to implode all around him and Louis could only focus on Harry’s curls plastered against the sides of his face and his plump lips and his clenched and sharp jawline.

“I’m close,” Harry groaned, eyes closing in pleasure for a few seconds, and he brought one of his hands from Louis’ hip to his cock, jerking him in the same time with his thrusts.

“Fuck Harry!” Louis exclaimed, his thighs trembling when Harry spread his pre-cum down his length and stroked him hard, his orgasm nearing. “I’m gonna c—”

“—me too, come on Lou, come for me,” Harry gritted between his teeth, his hips pounding against Louis’ ass, their skin slapping loudly.

Louis squeezed his eyes shut when Harry hit his prostate again, his balls clenching and the muscles in his stomach tightening with his pending orgasm. He came with a loud curse and then scrambled to hold onto Harry through his orgasm.

Harry pounced his cock inside Louis tightening heat a few more times before the other man’s wrecked moans pushed him over the edge, the room seemingly imploding as he came hard inside the condom.

Feeling Harry shuddering above him made Louis wonder if he was ever going to live a moment more perfect than this. Harry leaned his forehead on Louis’ shoulder and tried to catch his breath while also pressing kisses to Louis’ bruised neck and collarbones. Louis brought up his hand and twirled one of Harry’s curls around his index-finger, his mind still hazy and his sight still fogged up.

Harry eventually lifted his head and looked him in the eyes. They didn’t say anything for a while, just studied each other’s heated cheeks and bright eyes and bruised lips. Louis winced slightly when Harry pulled out, and his eyes followed the man’s naked body when Harry threw the condom in the trash. There were red marks on his neck and his shoulders and Louis couldn’t suppress a smile.

His smile grew when Harry pressed his lips against his own and smiled at him. “Let’s take a shower, and then you can tell me all about how I’m not supposed to get killed during the day – while you’re nearly managing to do that just then.”

Louis kissed him deeply and let himself be guided to the bathroom with dollar bills sticking to his back.

-

The sunlight drifted through one of the creaks in the dirty curtains, illuminating Louis’ face. He rubbed at his eyes and opened them slowly, taking in his surroundings. He rolled around in the bed and into Harry’s vacated space. There was no sound coming from the bathroom which meant Harry wasn’t in the room.

Louis tugged up the sheets and folded them around his naked body, walking up to the table. There was a new take-out bag placed on top of it as well as a note. Louis picked it up and read it.

_sorry i wasnt there when you woke up, got a job at opening times. back around 11am.x Haz_

Both worry, relief and happiness flooded through Louis after he read the note and he picked up the sandwich from the take-out bag. He absentmindedly chewed on the crust of the bread. He left the sandwich on the table and gathered his clothes which Harry had apparently put on the chair. There were lovebites on the insides of his thighs and Louis couldn’t help but smile. He spotted Harry’s neon green sunglasses on the table and he picked them up and placed them on his nose, grabbing the pack of cigarettes. The window made a screeching sound as he pushed it open and he sat down in the windowsill, breathing in the fresh morning air. He lit the cigarette and inhaled sharply.  

He wondered if he should let Niall and Harry meet, or maybe his father and Harry. After last night, there was no doubt in his mind about Harry and he didn’t want the man to leave his life. But at the same time he knew it was irrational to think he could simply introduce Harry to the people in his life. His father only bugged him about people he should date, other than that he thought Louis was a grown-up who could take care of himself. But that didn’t mean that his father wouldn’t be interested in Harry, no, his father would ask him questions about where he came from and if he had any family. Questions even Louis himself didn’t know the answers to.

No, Harry meeting his family or his friends was simply impossible as long as he did what he did and he was who he was. It disappointed him, but at the same time it all seemed so logical because he wanted Harry for who he was. If it were up to him, Harry would never change but he doubted anyone else would think the same. Maybe that was why Harry liked him.

He was startled out of his thoughts by the sound of screeching tires and a loud motor. Running footsteps came closer and Louis let out a small scream when the door of the room suddenly flew open, bouncing harshly off the wall.

Harry stormed inside, tugging his helmet off and pressing his hands against his eyes. “Fuck fuck fuck! Lou, I fucked up,” he repeated over and over, screaming as he kicked against the chair which hit the wall and collapsed.

Louis jumped off the windowsill and grabbed Harry’s face in his hands to calm him down. “Harry, what happened? What went wrong?” he asked, moving his hands to take the helmet from Harry.

“This,” Harry snatched the green sunglasses from Louis’ head, “I forgot them. I was a bloody mess this morning when I walked out the fucking door, spent more time staring at you than focussing on what I was supposed to do. And then Billy, fucking Billy!” Harry screamed and kicked against the table. “He fucking didn’t wait outside but came in and tried to fucking help! He got greedy and wanted us to get more money but the fucking idiot called me by my name. Shit Lou, they’ve got part of my face on camera now and my name as well, there were too many people in that fucking bank to shoot them all.”

“Shit,” Louis whispered, feeling the blood draining from his face. His hands dropped away from Harry’s sides as the man walked past him.

Harry slid his backpack off of his shoulder and dumped it on the bed, then walked over to the other side of the room, grabbing the larger bag. Louis walked towards the bed and opened the backpack, staring at the bundles of money inside. “Jesus Christ,” he whispered.

“I know, there was no time to split it because I had to drive my bike straight over here,” Harry said, all the while pacing through the hotel room, grabbing his comb, toothbrush and razor from the shelf in the bathroom and throwing them in the bag. “There was no way I was getting into that van with those fucking dickheads.”

Louis stared as Harry gathered more clothes and took out more money from behind the heater and the broken television and threw it in the bag.

“You’re leaving?” He asked.

“Well I am not waiting around for the cops to show up,” Harry said, his voice close to breaking but he wiped at his eyes and threw in the last of the money and an extra pair of sneakers which had been near the window.

He zipped up the back and then straightened himself, putting his hands on his hips. Louis leaned against the wall, the bricks cold against his back. He looked at Harry’s shoulders, rising and falling steadily underneath his white t-shirt. His tattoos were covered underneath a thin layer of sweat. He pushed a few unruly curls behind his ear and seemed to be steadying himself.

“Come with me,” he said.

Louis breathing hitched in his throat. “No.”

Harry turned around and walked towards him, grabbing his hands. “Please. I know you don’t want to leave this town even if the whole bloody thing was on fire but, please Louis. We can drive to Texas, to California, as far as you want us to go and then we’ll stop. There is over half a million dollar in that bag and we’ll make it through for a long time, just, just stay with me, yeah?”

Louis looked up incredulously. “Harry, you cannot be serious,” he whispered.

“I don’t have time for jokes right now, Lou, the cops could be here any fucking second,” Harry said, desperation creeping into his voice.

“I don’t even know anything about you,” Louis voice hitched and his heart raced in his throat.

“I’ll tell you everything,” Harry said quickly, “Anything you want to know, I’ll tell you. Just like we’ll do whatever you want to do if you come with me. Do you want a house? Done, we’ll get a house. Do you want me to stop being a criminal and get an actual job, then you’ve got it – I’ll do it for you.”

“B-But my family, Haz.” Tears welled up in Louis’ eyes, “What about my father and Niall and Paul and Mark? They’ve practically been with me since the day I was born.”

“And you’ll see them again, we’re not leaving the country,” Harry said, “They wanted you to get out of town and see the world right? Then do that, with me.”

“I won’t be seeing the world, I’ll be fleeing from the cops,” Louis corrected him, bringing his hands up to his cheeks and wiping his hair from his eyes. He sighed deeply and rested his head back against the wall.

“And if we leave right now they’ll never find us Lou, then it’ll be just you and me and the road.”

Louis turned and slammed his fist in the wall. “I fucking hate you!” he suddenly exclaimed, resting his head in his elbow. “Why here and why me? You couldn’t just fucking settle your ass in a different town and make someone over there fall in love with you?!”

“Louis you’ve gotta fucking decide right now,” Harry said, looking out the window and back to Louis. “I promise you that you’ll get all the fucking time you need to yell at me and to hit me but you know as well as I do that we’re two sides of a coin right now. I need you and you need me, and there’s no other way around it.”

Louis felt tears dripping down his cheeks, knowing Harry’s words were true but they crashed down on him anyway. He thought about his life, his job at the diner with the jukebox and Paul’s obsession with Johnny Cash. He imagined his father, how he would react if he didn’t arrive home two nights in a row. Niall, his best friend since childhood, what would he think of him if he ran off with Harry, a criminal? Which part of his life was he leaving behind and was he even willing to leave it behind?

But then came the moment he looked up and saw the hopeful green in Harry’s eyes and all the possibilities they could have together because they were only just at the beginning. They were only just starting their adventure and it had been a hell of a rollercoaster since that day Harry walked into the diner, but Louis knew he was addicted to the thrill of the ride.

He swallowed hard and wiped the tears away. “One condition,” he said, his voice as if a stranger’s.

“Anything,” Harry said, moving closer and cupping his cheeks. “Whatever you want Louis, you call the shots.”

“If I’m leaving everything behind right now, you better not fucking make me feel like that. So do whatever you have to do to keep clothes on my body, my stomach full and at least three cigs in my packs or so help me God I’m going home and I’m not looking back.”

“Deal,” Harry mumbled, crowding in Louis’ space and kissing his lips with a desperate fervour. “Now,” he breathed, kissing Louis’ nose. “Let’s get the fuck out of here.”

-

And they did. They drove for three hours until they reached the border between Tennessee and Arkansas and they kept on driving. The sun was shining bright in the clear blue sky and the roads were long and empty as far as the horizon reached. Harry kept his eyes on the road, but every once in a while his hand came to rest on Louis’ thigh and he’d give him a comforting squeeze. Because Louis cried.

He’d cried when they’d gotten on the motorcycle and he’d taken one last glance at his father’s truck in the parking lot. He’d cried when they took a right turn instead of the left turn towards town, the miles piling up behind them as they rode. He’d cried when he started recalling all the last conversations he’d had with his father and Niall and Paul.

Until he stopped and wiped his cheeks when Harry had pulled over at a roadside diner. He’d gone into the bathroom and blew his nose, fixing his hair and steeling himself.

There were postcards in a rack by the counter and Louis inspected them while he and Harry drank their coffee, holding each other’s hand on top of the table. He felt for the bundle of dollars Harry had put in his pocket and then slid out of the booth.

While Harry smoked a cigarette and stared at the few lonely clouds appearing in the blue sky, Louis wrote his postcards. He sent one to his father, explaining how he’d met someone and that he would be back one day. The next one was for Niall, and he wrote down his apologies for their last conversation. He asked his friend to trust him and to wait at least two months before telling his father about Harry. The last postcard he wrote was to Paul, telling him to let go of Johnny Cash and to try out George Strait’s music. He slid his letters into the post box and then put Harry’s sunglasses on, lit a cigarette and walked back towards his lover and his bike.

-

“Are you ready?” Harry asked him, a careful tone in his voice.

Louis adjusted the strap underneath his chin and brought his hands up to the helmet, checking it. “Yeah, I think I am.”

“Do you remember what I told you, love?” Harry asked, pressing a kiss against his shoulder and wrapping his arms around Louis’ waist.

“Yes,” Louis said, “I do.”

He kick-started the motor and brought his hands to the handles, revving the engine before they took off, leaving a big cloud of dust in their wake.

-

the end.

**Author's Note:**

> \- Yes, they fucked on a bed full of money. Come and fight me.  
> \- I'll update the fic [Moves and Countermoves](http://archiveofourown.org/works/2499482/chapters/5548511) this week.  
> \- Chat me up on [tumblr](http://www.hazza-andtommo.tumblr.com). 
> 
> Kudos and comments are lovingly drooled upon!


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